Taro T

Always thought that talk presumed the football stadium was going downtown and then the MMArena would get upgrades to keep pace w/ the new stadium. They did do a study of possible renovations to the MMArena back before the world shut down, but haven't seen any movement following the studies & haven't heard of anything major since. A lot of the stuff proposed wouldn't really fly in Buffalo IMHO. Glad that one that they brought in focus groups for went away.

They'll play well in October. Lately, they almost always do. The key is, can they keep it going afterwards. November/December is usually when the wheels fall off.

Every single year there is much handwringing or glee (depending upon perspective) about how such & such team's going into Cap H-E- double hockey sticks. TB, Minny, & TO just to name the ones immediately springing to mind. When a team actually truly gets there, it'll be the 1st. It is going to happen eventually. But until it actually does, will expect it won't.

Just like TB was last year & this year. Not saying they'll win the Cup. But they play in the weakest division in the NHL & had a ridiculous number of injuries this year. Would be shocked if they weren't at least in the playoff mix next year. But if the Sabres end up w/ their 1st in '23 will definitely hope they fall off the face of the Earth. Just not expecting it.

Would probably work out for the Sabres like the Aisles pick worked out. It went from 5th to 20 something in that 1 additional season. Yes, it could become a top pick in '23, but it's more likely to be in the 20's as Vegas won't likely be decimated by injuries. Will very happily take 15 this year should that be what it becomes.

Shouldn't it be the The Sullivans? 😉

Yes, he is. But rather than play in CA while waiting for a chance to play Div I at Arizona State, he chose to play at Sioux Falls while waiting to become a Golden Gopher at Minnesota. He's shown that he sees value in playing in a hockey hotbed. So, just because he grew up in Irvine, there is no reason, based upon his past history, to believe he would necessarily rather be near dear old dad over playing for Adams crew in wintry WNY.

Yep. The 4 recall rule is only applicable to call ups. (Was thinking of the pre-cap rules.) Thanks. But the only players on the Sabres that are eligible to be sent down (barring injury rehab) are Samuelsson, Krebs, & Fitzgerald. 2 of those guys AREN'T going back down in season. And the other really shouldn't get jerked around either IMHO, though will say the case to send Fitz back down is stronger.

No, & no. But neither is MacKinnon or Matthews. All 3 are better players than Thompson.

Agree. Really expect that the next starter (presuming he isn't Anderson) gets/is coming in on a deal w/ 2-3 years remaining. He likes UPL. He gushes about the other 2. He stills talks about not boxing young guys out. So, ...

And he gets that. (The solving it & not for too long. Not sure that solving it too well is actually an issue.) Whether he is adept enough and nimble enough after 2 years to successfully find that "bridge" to the bright future remains to be seen. Past results on the goaltending front aren't encouraging, but results on others are. Hoping he figures it out. Will expect he can once he has.

OK, thanks for the clarification. Agree that the conversations with the prospects are going that way. But disagree about the public statements. He positively GUSHES about both college goalies (and UPL to an extent as well) and how bright the future looks for the goaltending. For someone to so publicly state honestly is a core value of his (my use of the word core value, not his) and then flat out lie to the fans would destroy all his credibility IMHO. So, when he says he expects Portillo wants to be a Sabre, at this point this kid will believe him. Does that mean he absolutely will sign next year, no, but that doesn't mean Portillo nor Adams are lying now.

So, are you saying Adams isn't having honest conversations w/ these guys, that he doesn't value them, isn't having honest conversations w/ the public, or something other?

Wait, did you actually mean to say you don't believe "it pays to treat people well" is true? Pretty sure you didn't, but just want confirmation that was a misstatement. (Presuming, of course, that it is.)

They WOULD understand. But that wouldn't make the demotion fit with the professed philosophy of earning your results nor would it be looked upon favorably by the individual players. Management has worked so hard to make this a place where character matters. Why would they risk conveying the message that it only matters when it is expedient? That is the antithesis of character. Yes, Peyton, you're better than Bjork, but the kids need you, so Bjork gets the promotion from the press box & you get to go hop on a bus. <_< It also doesn't mesh w/ them only having 1 move left. And lastly, what does it say to those other prideful professionals that didn't get put on the Sabres but are tasked with getting the Amerks ahead of one other team? Nope, not good enough. Jankowski, you & the rest are trash. MAYBE the actual hockey players can save your sorry butts.

Only if he would prefer "lifestyle" to being in a hockey market/environment. He chose to play in Sioux Falls & the Twin Cities. Both of which are about as non-Irvine/ Los Angeles CA as you can get and are very much hockey markets.

And the answer to that would come down to how much value is being placed on the intangible of team chemistry. If both players sustain moving forward what they accomplished this year on the ice, based strictly on what they do on the ice, IMHO Reinhart would edge Thompson out but it's darn close. Throw in how each have/had a role in the team becoming a family, so to speak, again IMHO, it flips to Thompson hands down. If that chemistry is truly important, it goes to Tage. If the overall chemistry is overrated, then it just comes down to on-ice & Sam edges him out. And if Tage can't sustain this year's results, then it's Sam. Likely even when the intangibles are given weight.

No matter how much they're told by the staff it isn't a punishment nor how much we want to see the Amerks in the playoffs; there's no way a 21-ish kid getting his 1st chance of living his dream doesn't see it as a demotion nor a huge letdown. Management preaches doing thigs the right way and having players earn what they get. How does sending them down when they haven't earned that demotion jibe with that philosophy? Plus, aren't the 4 post-trade deadline pre-elimination roster moves a total # of non-emergency moves BOTH ways? (It used to be. Thought it still was.) They've only got 1 free move left. Might want to save it for Quinn or UPL.

Can see the merit to sending Fitzgerald down. But Krebs is playing well in various 2-4 line C & W roles and IMHO the Sabres gain more from seeing him perform in those roles minus the muscle he'll put on over the summer than they would sending him down to try to help the Amerks score more goals than they give up w/ a middling AHLer between the pipes behind him. And Samuelsson is playing well on an NHL top D pairing. He's not going back as long as the Sabres are playing. Heck, he might not even go back for the playoff run, should Ra-cha-cha make it, as he might get more out of the same atmosphere but higher competition in the WCs. (Besides, should the Amerks sneak in, pretty certain a sure sign of spring arriving in the former Flour City is the annual 1st round trouncing of the Amerks by the Marlies. Muel being down for that series, should it happen, might mess with that milestone. And then summer might never arrive. 😉 )

Sure they do. That big red streak is the blood pouring out of the bison post BB's handiwork. 😉 It's slightly abstract, but it is a combo of the 2. 😉

Is he a better player? Doubtful. But @Weave had a great answer. Is he a better FIT here? Jury's still out. But sure does look that way.

Cool. PJ can rest easy now. Ra-cha-cha is getting its reinforcements. 😉

Basically echoing what he'd said at the Insights Q&A a week earlier. Pretty certain several fans will see a naivete in Adams' views on the 3 college guys, but personally believe that Adams is doing his part to have honest conversations w/ them and that players will appreciate that. And really believe (hope?) that Portillo's ties to Power & Dahlin will be the final chit in the plus column to get him in the fold next April. More worried about Johnson. But if either he or Power can play the right side, it has to be intriguing for him to possibly be a part of a Blackhawks or Nashville D core that could stick together 5-10 seasons. And if Johnson has the character that Adams believes he has, he'll want to be part of that and embrace the challenge of finding playing time amongst the other lefties. Also get the impression that if he said he didn't want to be here that Adams will trade him for a deal that works for both Ryan & the Sabres.

To the bolded, it is. And he may turn out to be a guy that can only work w/ younger players or a Marty Schottenheimer that can get them far, but not far enough. But he has a combination of intelligence, upbeatness (not a word, but you get the jist), and ability to convey complex ideas in easily understood terms that is rare. Expect there's a reasonable chance that we lucked into one of the rare ones that can be the right choice to coach kids or vets.

Yep. Granato is that guy that can get put in a room full of manure & start looking for the pony. His attitude seems infectious (in a good way).